A devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu, an island east of Australia, on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction in the capital, Port Vila.
The tremor struck at 12:47 pm local time, approximately 30 km off the coast of the main island Efate, at a depth of 57 km, according to the US Geological Survey.
Multiple videos showing the moment the quake struck are now going viral on social media platforms.
One viral clip on X showed CCTV footage of a junkyard first swaying before violently shaking.
Amid the chaos, a dog appeared on camera running away, quickly followed by a man who also sprinted for cover.
CCTV footage of 7.4 Earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu
December 17, 2024 #earthquake #Vanuatu #terremoto #sismo pic.twitter.com/0MJWyhepga— Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) December 17, 2024
Another video revealed the aftermath of the earthquake, showing significant damage to the US, UK, and French embassy buildings.
❗️Massive earthquake strikes Vanuatu
The 7.3 magnitude tremor has caused widespread destruction in the Pacific island nation.
Footage from social media reveals significant damage to a building housing the US, UK, and French embassies, with fears of further devastation.
— Moh Musthafa Hussain (@musthafaaa) December 17, 2024
A picture shows trees uprooted and sprawled across the middle of the street.
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A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on Tuesday, severely damaging buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing foreign embassies, with a witness telling AFP… pic.twitter.com/1ZtfMV7lWW
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) December 17, 2024
The American Embassy’s first floor was damaged. Footage allegedly captures the collapsed embassy, with reports of people trapped inside.
7.3 earthquake has hit Vanuatu, an island east of Australia.
In this video is the American Embassy. It collapsed with people inside.
The island has suffered massive damage.
Pray for the victims and their families.
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— Paul A. Szypula ???????? (@Bubblebathgirl) December 17, 2024
Other clips showed extensive damage to CARE International’s office in Port Vila, following the afternoon’s massive earthquake. Many large buildings in the city have reportedly collapsed, with widespread power outages and water supply disruptions affecting most of the capital.
Damage to CARE in Vanuatu’s office in Port Vila from this afernoon’s magnitude-7.4 earthquake.
And Many large buildings collapsed, electricity is down & water is cut in most of the capital.#PortVila #Vanuatu https://t.co/UzzUhJGrHu pic.twitter.com/QA9xmkdCN1
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) December 17, 2024
Following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a tsunami warning for Vanuatu, predicting waves up to one metre. The alert was later lifted.
Vanuatu, located along the Pacific’s seismic Ring of Fire, is one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations. Frequent earthquakes, cyclones, and tsunamis regularly rock the place holding about 3.2 lakh. The 2024 World Risk Report ranked Vanuatu as highly vulnerable to such events due to its low-lying geography and limited infrastructure.